INTRODUCING: APRIL KAE
Fender is more than just a guitar manufacturer; the brand boasts a global legacy as a pioneer standing at the very edge of instrument design, and is equally recognised as a cultural leader. Fenders have become synonymous with and powered the sounds of some of the most talented guitarists and artists of the last several decades, from Jimi Hendrix to H.E.R.
In celebration of the launch of the Fender Player II series, we spoke to one of the faces of the campaign, April Kae. A powerhouse bassist and singer, she has taken social media by storm by bringing her unapologetically feminine aesthetic to a typically serious and male-dominated space. In a world in which around one in ten bass players are women, April positions the traits that make her, her — she is a femme, queer, person of colour— at the very front and centre of her content creation and musicianship, rather than shrinking to fit into the mold of what the internet assumes musicians look like. Her socials are vibrant, homely, and full of activism- she truly is re-inventing what it means to be an instrumentalist and an influencer.
by portia brajkovic
“I hear so many people saying, 'I don't want to start playing bass, I'm too old, I can’t do this or that.' The reality is, let's make it fun and positive and inclusive. That's what I bring to my playing. And that's why I was really thrilled that Fender tapped me for this - the instruments have the sound and the versatility, the look, the feel - it’s awesome.” Her ultimate goal? “Breaking down barriers and creating space to redefine what music looks like on our own terms. For me, that’s fun, and that’s colour. This is the revolution”.
— April Kae , June 2024
SE - How did the idea come around for ‘Hanging With Trees’ and how did you come to work with Roe?
April was raised amongst musicians in Austin, Texas, brought up on the sounds of Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, and herself playing funk, jazz, classical, and more. This musical melting pot in mind, it makes sense that April gravitated toward the versatility of Fender. “The through line over time has really been my love of music itself, not specifically any genre. I love jamming out on bass to a soul song, as much as I love seeing a classical concert, as much as I love helping another artist with a hip hop beat… One thing that’s been really cool about Fender and the P-Bass is that it’s so legendary across different genres.”
SE - What artists do you think inspires your sound?
When it comes to live shows, bassists tend to be more enigmatic than the other players, typically pushed towards the back of the stage or the arrangement. This is, in part, why social media has become so important to April, providing her a platform to bring the bass to the foreground: “I can make my bass twice as loud as the rest of the track and get a tone that’ll cut through - shout out again to the P-Bass. There’s a lot of things I’m able to do online that don’t make sense in a song uploaded to Spotify, or in a live show”.
April initially started posting on social media to connect with other creatives, but quickly found an eager audience. “People are interested in what they don't normally get to see. Now, the algorithm is able to bring really unique content to a specific audience, and has enabled me to find the right people… so many other folks who would create this community with me, and who would build up a space where we can celebrate the bass and try new things.” She finds that being a woman is a beacon to beginners, and even players further in their careers, who want to see newer, fresher people taking up space.
In line with this, Fender prioritised April’s creative freedom through the Player II campaign: “my band was all black women, I brought my women team to set. The entire thing we put together is a very strong, empowered version of femininity”. Ultimately, she hopes that audiences have one key takeaway: music could and should be more playful. And this is why the pairing of Fender and April Kae makes so much sense: “Fender makes it really easy to be playful”.
Check out the full campaign for All Day and All of the Night: The All New Player II Series here